It must be frustrating to be in the minority of an administrative adjudicatory body and to constantly be forced to write dissenting opinions, as was the case for former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Brian E. Hayes (now an Ogletree Deakins shareholder). But if anyone doubted the value...

It was not easily accomplished, but on June 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law a series of trade measures, including Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), providing the administration with rules governing the negotiation of international trade agreements. With the passage of TPA or...

On June 24, 2015, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a new decision involving allegations that an employer had unlawfully discharged an employee who had scrawled sexually-oriented obscenities and threatening statements on the face of union literature. In Fresenius USA Manufacturing,...

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published proposed guidance addressing the controversial Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673, which President Obama signed on July 31, 2014 (80 Fed. Reg. 30574 (May 28, 2015)). The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council also issued...

On April 14, 2015, after a four-year battle, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) final “ambush election” rules, which will dramatically shorten the time between requests for a vote and a union election, go into effect. The controversial new rules will significantly alter...

Since the expiration of a labor contract in July 2014, negotiations for a new contract have dragged on between management representatives of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA)—a multi-employer bargaining association representing terminal operators, stevedores, and shipping...

We expect 2015 to be a very busy year for actions on new or proposed federal regulations in the absence of congressional legislation. That was confirmed on November 21, 2014, when the administration published its “Unified Regulatory Agenda for Fall 2014” (Fall 2014 Regulatory Agenda)...

In yesterday’s mid-term elections Republicans gained a substantial majority in the U.S. Senate (52-45) with three states undecided: (1) one “toss-up” state—Louisiana, which is still undecided and in which no candidate received 50 percent of the votes; (2) another...

In an October 29 report, POLITICO Pro’s Brian Mahoney offered a behind the scenes insight into the thinking of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Richard f. Griffin, Jr. on his initiatives to alter the Board’s “joint employer” standard. Quoting from...

With the Obama administration unable to get labor and employment law changes through a gridlocked Congress, one of its significant accomplishments and lasting legacies may be its remarkable record of reshaping federal regulatory agencies and the federal judiciary.